Wicked Game
by xCatseyesx
Summary: Buffy takes a while to warm up to Faith when she returns to Sunnydale. It's based on the episode "Dirty Girls" not what it says in the intro. My bad :P
1. Chapter 1

Ok, I basically thought that in the series Buffy let Faith off the hook a little too easily in the episode "Bad Girls". This is my take on the whole thing. Not entirely decided how this story is going to end up although I would like to see them together in the end (totally should have happened in the series :P) This is set during the episode "Bad Girls" and some dialogue from the actual episode does feature but i have tried to add my own spin on things. Let me know what you guys think, I always welcome reviews good or bad. I promise it will pick up in the second chapter, more about deep feelings etc but its my first fan fic so give me time to improve :P xCatseyesx

As always all characters belong to Joss, I'm just adding a little extra.

**Wicked game**

A cool breeze punctuated the warm night and ruffled the brunettes hair, causing the thick waves to ripple and dance. The girl was dressed in a jacket and tank top combined with dark leather pants and sturdy, well- worn boots. Her hair had been left down to flow over her shoulders, the waves curling around her jaw. Her dark, chocolate eyes took in the white suburban house with its grey roof and towering palm trees. She sighed and cracked her knuckles. She was really back in Sunnydale.

It had been over a year since Faith had been here. She had broken out of jail to help regain Angel's soul after it had been removed leaving the evil Angelus once again free. After that the next logical move had been to return with Willow to Sunnydale and help the scooby gang with the new big bad. The only hitch in the plan was Buffy and Faith knew she had alot of amends to make when it came to the blonde slayer. Willow had warned her that it was probably best to give Buffy some space when they arrived back home. As usual, rather than listening to the advice being given to her, Faith dived straight in. Luckily too because she came across a vampire stalking a teenage girl in the local cemetery.

"Watcha want to do to her vamp? Huh? Something like this?"

Even though he had just recieved a blow to the head, the blonde vampire managed a ruefull smile.

"Nice punch you got there. Lemme guess. Leather pants, nice right cross, doe eyes, holier-than-thou glower...You must be Faith."

_Heh so the name 'Faith' does still mean something around these parts!_

Faith displayed her trademark pout and squared her shoulders.

"Oh goodie. I'm famous. Want an autograph?"

"Told you were coming. Bit of a misunderstanding here. I'm Spike and we-" He was silenced by a full roundhouse kick to the jaw.

"Bloody hell! I'm on your side!!"

Faith grinned sweetly at Spike's indignation before launching several punches. The vampire blocked and dodged but the slayer still managed to score hits. A well placed kick caused the vampire to stumble into a tombstone and Faith followed it up with a punch.

"You were attacking that girl!" She raised her fist and struck again. A blow struck her on the side of the face from out of nowhere causing her to fall forward. She rolled and whirled around to see who her attacker was.

"Sorry Faith. I didn't relise that was you" said Buffy Summers cooly.

Faith swallowed and held eye contact with Buffy. She had been dreading this moment during the entire car ride with Willow, the moment she would come face to face with her once fellow slayer. She took a deep breath.

"It's alright B." She straightened up massaging her jaw. "Luckily you still hit like you used to." _Man, jail must have made me soft. Feels like she hit me with a frickin' sledgehammer. _

She returned her focus back to the conversation between Buffy and Spike and was surprised to hear concern in the other slayers voice.

"You're protecting vampires!?" she asked incredously then smirked. "Are you the bad slayer now? Am I the good slayer now?"

"I'd have to do alot more than protect a vampire to become the bad slayer, Faith."

_Ouch. Guess I deserved that for making a smartass remark. _

Faith scowled and placed her hands on her hips.

"Well anyway if he's so good what's he doing chasing down defenceless-" She was abruplty silenced by the now not-so-defenceless girl jumping her from behind, hands scrabbling for her throat. Faith twisted and managed to shove her off just in time to hear Buffy casually remark "That's one of the bad guys."

_Better make this quick. B is gonna be judging my every move and no way do I wanna look weak or out of shape. I'm already ten points down for lettin' her sneak up on me. _

The dark slayer and vampire circled one another, watching for the tell-tale signs of an impending attack. The vampire feigned a step to the left then flung herself at Faith's left hand side, taking the slayer by surprise and resulting in a punch. Faith grabbed the arm that had scored a blow and threw the vamp to the ground and prepared to deliver a kick. Again the vamp surprised her and landed a kick on her side. This time Faith did not hang back and threw herself into a sequence of kicks and punches which all met their designated targets. Looking towards Buffy, she pointidly glanced at the stake secured at other slayers thigh. "May I?" She didn't give the blonde time to reply before reaching down and grabbing it. The vampire growled and lunged again, fangs bared. With the grace of a true slayer. Faith kicked and buried the stake into the vampires heart causing it to explode into a cloud of ash. She let the stake fall to the ground and observed her shaking body.

_Oh man I have missed this! I haven't felt it for so long! The rush, my heart pumping to the max, the adrenalin and all that other shit coursing through me. I'm so juiced!_

Grinning broadly at her post vamp high she turned to face Buffy, the smile slowly faltering as she took in her counterparts other slayer was glaring at her with folded arms, clearly not amused by Faith's obvious delight at staking the vamp. Faith wondered if the fact that she had used Buffy's stake had also added towards the blondes pissed off expression.

"Well that was a productive patrol: three for the home team and one for the good slayer-gone bad then gone slightly good again," drawled Spike "We all heading back to potential central?"

He glanced from one slayer to the other, taking in their defensive stances and Buffy's expression.

"Hey now. Even though I'm a vamp you have to agree thats pretty good for a-"

"Leave it Spike. I think Faith and I need to sort some things out." Buffy's gaze had now taken on a frosty appearance.

"Oh I get it. Slayer only time. No mention of a 'thank you' or a 'sorry I mistook you for the evil guy and landed a few punches before relising my mistake'." He flicked his black, leather coat dramatically and stalked away muttering loudly. "Well I hope you have a fight to the death...at least that way only one of you will use me as a vampire punch bag."

Faith watched Spike's departure with amausemnt. "I gotta get me one of those vamp punch bags," she winked at the blonde. Buffy remained motionless, hazel eyes still fixed on the younger slayers face. Again, ignoring all warnings, Faith flashed her another smile.

"So B, wanna do this whole catch-up thing over a couple of beers?" As the words left her mouth she knew they had not been the correct ones. Buffy's frosty expression had upgraded to one of fury and it was very clear that she was trying to contain the new wave of anger.

"Catch-up!? You are unbelievable! A couple of rounds and a short discussion of 'what I did last summer' doesn't make everything you did go away." She clenched her fists and carried on. "The guy you murdered, all those stunts you pulled with the mayor, the stuff you did in L.A." She locked her flashing eyes onto the brunettes. "Everything you did to me."

Faith dropped gaze and started to fidget with the sleeves of her leather jacket._ Carefull Faith, one wrong word and you've blown it. Quit playin' with her and just be honest._

"Look Buffy, I'm tryin' here. I aint dumb enough to believe that we can be all five by five after all the shit that went down."

She brought her head up to focus on the older slayers face.

"All i'm askin' is for us to work together." She paused then carried on. "Plus what with all the wannabes and the new big bad, you'll be needing all the help you can get."

Buffy remained silent and this time Faith let her think. Try as she might she couldn't judge the other girl's expression. She had almost lost all hope when she heard Buffy sigh softly.

"Fine. Just a couple of drinks." She started walking towards the cemetery gate. "And no dancing."

Faith allowed herself a smile and caught up with the blonde. "You got it B."

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tbc....


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for being patient and waiting for this chapter, took me longer than I thought! Hope you guys enjoy this one as well. As usual I enjoy people's opinions of what I have written, good or bad! Just let me know how I am doing! Love to the people who gave me reviews and subscribed! - xCateyesx

As always all characters belong to Joss, I'm just adding a little extra.

A warm, alcoholic smell welcomed the slayers into the gloomy bar. It was sidled down a relatively un-walked alleyway and was practically empty apart from a couple of guys playing pool in a dimly lit corner. The bar stood at the far end with tables lining the wall, each one containing a single candle perched in a dark bottle. Faith had mumbled something about getting a drink leaving Buffy to choose the seating arrangements. The blonde eased herself into the far end of the closest table, unaware that she had positioned herself partly in the shadows. She leaned back; her face no longer exposed to what little light there was and sighed softly.

_What am I doing here? I should be at home helping out_.

An image of dinner from the previous night flashed through her mind. It wasn't too dissimilar from a pride of lions fighting over a kill only the kill had been a scared looking Xander holding several KFC buckets.

_Maybe an evening away might be good, although this isn't exactly how I pictured it..._

Her hazel eyes focussed onto the younger slayer leaning against the bar, taking in her appearance. She had been too shocked to study her properly in the graveyard, her anger had reined supreme. Buffy was surprised at the difference she saw just by looking at her and how much Faith appeared to have changed, maybe even without her knowing it. She held herself a little more relaxed. Sure the tough girl "i'll kick your ass" stance was still there but it had softened. She was even smiling whilst talking to the barman, not the usual leer used primarily for obtaining free drinks but a genuine, friendly smile. There was one thing Buffy could remember from earlier however, Faiths eyes. They no longer burned with the mixture of anger and half-hidden pain which had been present from the very first day she had walked into the older slayers life. It was clear that she had let go of all the old hurt and had come to a sort of peace with herself and the subsequent change was striking.

_So Angel was right, she isn't the same Faith anymore_.

The blonde rested her chin on her hand and continued her observations. As the younger slayer sauntered away from the bar, Buffy couldn't help noticing that she was subconsciously moving her hips in time to the music.

_Although some things never change._

The older slayer smiled to herself and straightened up as the brunette reached the table. As Faith placed the bottles on the table Buffy raised an eyebrow.

"This you not dancing?"

"Huh? Oh god sorry B." Faith sat down quickly with a guilty expression on her face. "I just haven't heard music this loud for a while. Y'know, loud enough to feel it."

_That's another thing. Sorry. She never apologised, even when she was wrong_.

Faith grinned, a wicked twinkle present in her brown eyes. "Anyway, we both know that ain't me dancing, not like the good old days."

_Like before you turned on us. _

Buffy remained silent, letting Faith work out on her own that the "good old days" had not been entirely happy ones. It only took a couple of seconds for the brunette to wince and take a hasty swig from her bottle.

Faith continued talking, evidently trying to ease the awkward silence she had caused.

"Red filled me in a little of what has been happening while I was in the big house. If you had asked me to bet on the scoob most likely to go all dark phoenix and try to destroy the world, i'd have lost allota bucks." She raised her bottle and took a short sip. "Remind me never to piss Red off again!"

There was another pause. Faith took a deep breath and continued on.

"And I heard something about you takin' down a demi-goddess?"

Buffy's eyes snapped up. She hadn't expected Faith to bring up this topic. She tried to keep her voice steady as she answered.

"No. Giles vanquished her."

"But Red said that YOU saved the world?"

Faith was watching her intently.

Buffy dropped her gaze again and started to fiddle with the neck of her untouched bottle

"Yeah, I suppose so."

She could still feel Faith's eyes on her face but couldn't bring her eyes up to meet hers.

_Please don't ask me...Please_...

She wanted to trust her, open her heart and tell her of all the pain and suffering that had been going on but she just couldn't. It was just too much.

They sat in silence, both focussed on their bottles: Buffy continuing to fiddle with hers and Faith taking periodic sips. The blonde was starting to panic that Faith was psyching herself up to ask the dreaded question and was about to think what to say next when Faith sighed gently.

"Look Buffy, I didn't mean to barge into all your personal stuff. I know it's been tough year on everyone..." her voice became huskier. "Especially you." She placed her empty bottle on the table and got to her feet. "Anyways, I think I should probably get going." She smiled brightly "Gonna check out the motel and see if my old room is free."

A heavy hand squeezed Buffy's heart.

"We still have an empty spare room."

"Nah it's cool B," The younger slayer slid her hands into the back pockets of her leather pants and hunched her shoulders. "Don't wanna be gettin' in the way or anything."

"Look its ok Faith. It's better to have all of us together." She gave the brunette a small smile. "The girls could do with the extra protection."

Faith returned her smile. "To be honest I kinda promised myself I was never gonna sleep in that place again. Too many bad memories."

Something in Buffy twitched. She carefully stood up next to the other girl.

"Let's go before Dawn thinks I've abandoned her, again."

She followed the taller slayer towards the door.

"And Faith?"

The brunette turned from the doorway to face her.

"It's good to have you back."


	3. Chapter 3

Hey! Ok so I have learnt I'm not a fast writer but I hope this chapter will make up for it! Thanks again to all those who gave me their opinions and subscribed, it really means alot. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions feel free to comment. I'm hoping to add more Faith humour next time since this was a bit of a serious chapter! Thanks again and I hope you continue to enjoy it! - xCatseyesx

As always all characters belong to Joss, I'm just adding a little extra.

It was a few hours off sunrise before the slayers reached the familiar residence in the quiet suburbs. They had walked most of the way in silence, both preoccupied with thoughts about their conversation in the bar. Faith wasn't sure if the older slayer was giving her the silent treatment because of what she had done or because of what she asked. The blonde had clammed up at the mention of Glory and, not for the first time, Faith felt she was missing something. She watched Buffy open the front door and followed her into the light. Her eyes roamed around the hall, taking in the dark wooden flooring, the framed photographs on the wall and the banister of the staircase.

"Whoa! Memory lane. Same old house."

Buffy quietly shut the door behind her and glanced at the hallway furniture.

"Every piece of it's been destroyed and replaced since you left."

Faith couldn't help noticing the detached way in which the blonde spoke and the subtleness behind her words.

_Man, she is so distant. Like a walkin' robot. It's like she's...lost something. _

Her musings were cut off by a tentative voice from the living room.

"Buffy?"

Dawn and Willow were sitting on the couch nearest the door, several open spell books lying between them. As Buffy entered the room Dawn snapped her book shut and jumped to her feet.

"Thank god! Willow told me Faith went looking for you and since she's a known phsyco I..."

Her words trailed off as Faith stepped out from behind Buffy.

"Hey. Got a spare bed for a wanted fugitive?"

Dawn scowled and crossed her arms.

Faith tried not to smirk. The Summers sisters were more alike than they probably thought.

Willow glanced from one slayer to the other with a worried expression on her face.

"Oh you guys are back! Good! You guys didn't kill each other." Her face paled with the realisation of her choice of words. "Not that you would ever try to kill each other. Make love not war and, and-" She took a deep breath and smiled sheepishly. "I'm rambling again aren't I?"

"It's ok Willow. Faith's here to help us with the First." Buffy slowly took off her coat and casually draped it over the arm of the sofa. "I offered her the spare room"

"What!?" Dawn stopped glaring at Faith to give her older sister an incredulous look. "Does she have to stay here? 'Cause there's some nice hotels that welcome tried-to-kill-your-sister-types."

_Wow, check out little sis. All grown up._

Dawn fixed the brunette with another frosty glare. "And anyway. We don't have a spare room at the moment. The injured potential Shannon is in there recovering." She lifted her chin as if to signal the matter was now dealt with.

Faith pretended not to be disheartened by this news She had just started getting her hopes up that, in a way, staying at the summers house would be the first step of working together with the Scooby gang, proving to them all that she was here to help.

_It don't matter. B was just being polite. Don't wanna get in too deep too soon._

She took a deep breath and arranged her face into its best nonchalant expression.

"Don't sweat it. I'll head back to the motel-"

"Faith can share with me." The older slayer's hazel eyes briefly flicked in Faith's direction then returned to make full contact with Dawn's. "Problem solved"

Dawn stared at her sister, mouth slightly agape. She made as if to speak then stopped herself, her brow slowly furrowing when Buffy's stoic expression failed to change. With her chin jutting out dangerously, she stormed off up the stairs without so much as a backward glance. Willow watched her angry ascent in silence then caught Buffy's eye.

"I'll talk to her tomorrow when she has cooled off." The red head smiled sadly. "It's been one of those long days."

"Yeah. Thanks Wil" Buffy returned her long time friend's smile. "I think I'm going call it a night and head up to bed."

Willow nodded and returned her attention to the open spell book resting on her knee. Faith hesitantly followed Buffy as she climbed up the narrow stairs towards the bedrooms, still processing what had just happened. She had remained silent during the verbal spar knowing that Buffy would almost certainly take her younger sisters side. She hadn't expected this outcome.

_Did she just stick up for me? Against Dawn? _

Buffy opened the door to the small bedroom and entered. Faith hovered by the entrance, wary eyes following the older slayers movements around the room. She was still unsure if Buffy had been serious, not just about her staying but letting her sleep in the same bed. After everything that had gone on between them over the years, this was a big step. Faith continued to lean against the doorframe watching as Buffy, seemingly unaware of Faith's wariness, opened a chest of drawers. The brunette couldn't contain her thoughts anymore, she had to ask.

"You sure about this B?" The blonde continued to rake through a drawer. "I could easily kip on the couch?"

Buffy straightened up and turned to face the brunette, a small bundle of clothes clasped in one hand.

"What's up?" A hint of a smile played across her face "You don't snore do you?" She walked towards Faith and offered her the bundle of material.

The younger slayer accepted them, puzzlement showing in her eyes.

"What are these?" She unfolded them to reveal a baggy T-shirt and a pair of shorts. "I've got clothes for tomorrow in my bag."

"PJ's. That priest story is permanently burned into my brain"

Faith pouted playfully at Buffy as she moved away from the doorframe towards the bed. She sat down and started unlacing her sturdy boots.

"Hey! I've had nothin' 'cept good reviews bout that story and if it wasn't for the bighouse, I'd still be re enacting it." She turned her back on the blonde to give her some privacy to change.

"Y'know. California does tend to get kinda hot round this time of year." This comment earned a groan from the blonde causing Faith to smirk. She pulled off her dark tank and slipped on the oversized t-shirt, inhaling the pleasant smell of soap powder clinging to the soft clothes. In a couple of quick skilled movements her jeans were off and replaced with the slightly loose shorts.

"Ya decent B?"

She turned round to find her counterpart already in bed, eyes closed, fast asleep. Faith watched her breathe in and out softly a couple of times then chuckled quietly to herself and pulled back the sheets on her side of the bed. She positioned herself near the edge, careful not to brush the blonde's legs with her own and settled into the comfy sheets with a sigh.

She had to admit, it _did_ feel good to be back.

Tbc.....


	4. Chapter 4

Hey! I have now decided that this might be a longer story than I thought, although I do have a rough idea of how it's going to go! Thanks to everyone who subscribed (even though I am the slowest writer in the world!) and reviewed, makes it all worthwhile! I love everyone's opinions so feel free to voice then, good or bad and I hope you continue to enjoy. – xCatseyesx

As always all characters belong to Joss, I'm just adding a little extra.

The sun set against a flaming pink and orange sky, colouring the earth a burnt amber. She was leaning against a stone doorway, absorbing the warmth from the last rays. A soft breeze played over her face, bringing with it the light fragrance of wood and plants mingled with the scent of compost. Her ears caught a sound, fainter than a whisper and she felt herself slowly turn and move forward, as if it were pulling her along. Her steps took her down a passage way, her fingertips lightly brushing the rough wall as she neared the end. The humming was gradually getting louder, filling her body with a pleasant vibration. Again she turned, her legs moving with purpose down another passage seemingly no different than the last. However, this time a faint glow appeared several steps in and increased in intensity the further she walked. She sped up, eagerly anticipating the source of the glow until she found herself there. The near blinding light was a bright, vivid red, almost taking up her entire field of vision. In the corner of her eye she could see something moving just beyond the glare, skulking in the shadows. Her hand reached out towards the light, fingers outstretched, the humming now reverberating through her every fibre, almost through her very soul. Just as she was about to touch it, the light went out and she was enveloped in darkness. Shrill screams, hundreds and hundreds all at once tore through her head; biting, scratching, tearing at her eardrums. She couldn't see, couldn't hear, couldn't feel anything apart from the pain of the endless screaming. Then, quite suddenly, she was awake. Buffy found herself lying on her side in the bed, her body facing the door behind which the potential's morning routine was going on as loudly as the day before. The blonde groaned and pulled her pillow over her head in an attempt to drown out the high pitched chatter drifting in from the shower queue.

_We really need to install another bathroom. Far __**far**__ away from those who patrol until daybreak. _

A husky groan came from the other side of the bed. "Please tell me they are banned from the coffee machine."

Buffy froze, the pillow still tightly clasped in both hands, muscles ready for action. _Faith!_ The previous night's events slowly resurfaced in her mind and she relaxed.

_Faith. Is back. Helping us. Right._

"I think we will have to deal with Starbucks first."

She rolled over, intending to prop herself up on one arm but instead sharply inhaled. The brunette was sprawled on her side, facing away from Buffy. Her hair shone with a warm, copper tinge in the morning glow, long tendrils snaking down her bare back. The curve of a shoulder blade rested on lean back muscles which ended in two dimples at her hips. Faith yawned causing the muscles to tighten and relax in a fluid motion that was almost hypnotic to the blonde.

_Hello? Earth to Buffy._

Buffy cleared her throat and managed to relocate her voice.

"Faith...you..." She trailed off, swallowed then tried again "You...your top! What happened to your top?"

_Smooth. Real smooth._

Faith rolled onto her back and stretched her arms up towards the ceiling.

"They're both on the floor somewhere."

"Both...?" Buffy spluttered "You mean you're wearing nothing!?"

"What? I got too hot!" She dropped her arms and started tugging at the top sheet, skilfully detaching it from the bed. Grasping it firmly with one hand, the younger slayer sat up and turned her head to smile coyly at the blonde.

"You woudn't want me gettin' heat stroke now would ya B?"

With a final tug Faith sauntered out of the bedroom, the bed sheet held up to her chest, covering her front but leaving her back entirely exposed.

Buffy just gaped after her, not even paying attention to the commotion Faith was causing in the hallway.

"Hey! I was after Amanda!"

"Older slayers get first dibs on the shower."

The bathroom door slammed loudly bringing the blonde back to her senses. She rested her head against her arm and listened to the grumbling potentials.

"Who the heck was that?"

"I overheard Willow and Dawn having a heated discussion over someone called Faith?"

"Is she another slayer?"

"Must be although I thought there could only be one at a time..."

There was a pause, interrupted only by the sudden gush of water from the stolen shower.

"Technically...because I'm slightly older..."

"Don't even try it Violet or I swear I'll tell Andrew you're secretly into star trek."

There was another longer pause.

"Anyone else wondering why she was practically naked?"

Buffy groaned inwardly and flopped back onto the remaining sheets. Knowing teenage girls the story of a half naked slayer emerging from Buffy's room in the early hours of the morning would probably spread like wildfire through the house, becoming more and more elaborate with each telling. Not that it required anymore sordid additions.

_Urg! Weird dreams, rogue slayers and gossiping teenagers. It must be a Monday_. She buried her face further into the pillow. _Never could get the hang of Monday's._


	5. Chapter 5

Hey Guys! Next chapter up! Sorry for the wait, having fun trying to connect all my dis-jointed ideas up! Don't worry, Faith isn't going to put up with the silent routine for long ;) Hope you guys enjoy and keep your opinions coming, good or bad welcome. Even more love to my regular reviewers and to everyone who made a comment or subscribed. - xCatseyesx

As always all characters belong to Joss, I'm just adding a little extra.

Faith stood with her head against the shower wall, eyes closed, head lowered, letting the warm water cascade over her body. Her thoughts moved with the same ease as the water flowing around her, probably making her spend more time showering than she would normally. It had been a long time since she'd had a shower all to herself and she was going to savor every minute of it. It wasn't that the prison guards had made them shower in cold water or anything, it was just difficult to relax when you were surrounded by nine other woman who looked like they upheld the expression "don't drop the soap". She smiled ruefully as she bent down to pick up a bottle of shampoo and began to wash her hair. Her thoughts moved to last night's events with Buffy as she worked the shampoo into a thick lather. Faith had expected Buffy to be angry, to point blank refuse any help from her and to keep Faith at arm's length until such point where it was deemed that they were required to work together for the sake of all humanity. But instead, after an initial outburst, Buffy had remained calm. True she hadn't been her usual chipper self but she had chosen to accompany Faith and had even gone as far to invite her back to slayer central. Then there had been the even more confusing incident were Buffy had taken Faith's side over Dawn's, Faith still half expected the blonde to her to change her mind at any time. Maybe Buffy wanted Faith to be here. Faith gimanced and swiped some shampoo out of her left eye. Or maybe thing's were much worse than Willow had described.

_You didn't think she would tell you everything on the first night back did ya? It's gonna take some time. Get your bearings. You want to be here to help, concentrate on the big bad._

There were alot of things going on under the surface, many revolving around the older slayer. They also had their turbulent past to work through and Faith's antics this morning probably hadn't helped the situation. They could at least sort that stuff out later, possibly when of the end of the world wasn't so imminent. Faith sighed before finally turning the shower button to the off position and slipped out, grabbing the nearest towel off the rail. She retreated back to Buffy's room, hoping to have a quick word with her before she met the rest of the scoobs but the blonde appeared to have got out of bed and left. The brunette dressed quickly leaving her damp hair to dry into it's trademark waves and made her way downstairs. The hall was empty apart from a small group of people talking in a corner who caught sight of her as she reached the lower steps.

"Hey X-man, Anya, little sis."

The responses were varied: Xander smiled, Anya started to fidget with her sleeve and Dawn glowered.

"Has B-"

"She went out." snapped Dawn who, as expected, turned on her heel and exited into the living room leaving the others in awkward silence. Anya continued to fidget, looking between Faith and Xander obviously hoping one of them would make the first attempt at speech.

"So, uh, Faith. Sleep well last night?" asked Xander in a suspiciously offhand voice.

Faith raised an eyebrow and a guilty smile played over his face.

"I only mention it cause some of the girls said they heard...uh...noises and..." He tailed off, eyes shining eagerly.

_Too easy._

Faith leaned against the wall, snaked her arms seductively over her body then wove her fingers through her drying hair. She smiled coyly and accentuated her already husky voice.

"Oh yeah, B and I were getting down and dirty."

She smirked as Xander's eyes glazed over.

_Right on cue._

All three of them noticeably relaxed.

"If they did hear noises, they were caused by a wicked vivid dream B was having. She was tossing and turnin' like fox in a snare."

Faith watched Xander's expression change to one of thoughtfulness before her gaze took in the dozen empty coffee cups littered around the kitchen, lounge and the half empty cup clutched in Xander's hand.

"Seriously what's with the Starbucks addiction?" Xander grinned and took a hearty swig. "There's gotta be something stronger than caffeine in that to make you want to drink that much shit!"

"Poison" said Anya brightly.

Xander spat out his mouth full of coffee and looked between Anya and his cup in horror.

"Well it was originally poison. Starbraxus came up with the idea to mix poison with steamed milk and use it to wipe out humanity but he mixed up his ingredients, added ground coffee beans by mistake." She paused thoughtfully. "Although it is rumored that he now adds a secret ingredient. I wonder if it could be flimber bile or maybe the juices of an elder toad?" Xander shuddered and deposited his cup on the nearest surface.

"Anyway, I suppose it worked out for the best because humans can't function without at least two cups a day and he gets $4 a cup and that's if they don't get the little muffins with the chocolate sprinkles on top." She beamed at them all, oblivious to the horrified expressions.

"Moving on" said Xander hurridly, his mouth still gaping slightly from his ex-girlfriend's contribution to the conversation.

"Did I say something wrong? I thought everyone knew about Starbraxus? He-"

"Did B say where she was heading to?" cut in Faith.

Anya continued to mutter under her breath, phrases like "good idea" and "silly humans" were ignored by the other two.

"She said something about school. Yeah we have a new one! Although i've heard the kids have been going a little crazy lately. I'm sure she will be back later."

Faith spent the rest of the morning working out in the back yard, starting with simple stretching then progressing to flips, kicks and punches. Potentials were taking it in turns to walk inconspicuously past the window in an attempt to steal quick glances at her on the lawn while she did her best to ignore them. She pushed herself, ignoring the discomfort in her tired muscles and the sweat dripping off her forehead and back. She was nearing the end of her routine when a girl came out the house, settled herself on the steps and began to watch her casually. Faith watched her out of the corner of her eye as she threw the last of her energy into a series of punches and a final kick. She relaxed, dropping her arms from their fighting position, shook her unruly hair and turned her full attention to the stranger. She was dark haired, a warmer brown than the dark slayer's own, with slightly tanned skin and large almond shaped eyes. She looked older than the majority of the girls and appeared to carry herself with air of self-assurance which had probably prompted her to approach Faith instead of staying indoors with the others. The girl straightened up as Faith walked towards her.

"Nice moves." She held out a bottle of water.

"Kennedy, right?" Faith accepted the bottle of water and took a long sip, stopping only when she noticed Kennedy was giving her a quizzical look.

"Willow mentioned you." The potential smiled at the mention of her witch's name.

"Not hanging out with the rest of the wannabes?" Faith flicked her eyes to the window where two more potentials were unsuccessfully trying to stay out of sight behind the curtains.

Kennedy shrugged.

"Anya is about to talk to us about demons." She gave Faith a dolefull expression. "Last time she ended taking up an hour to discuss the differences between sex with a demon and sex with a human."

Faith chuckled and took another sip from her water bottle.

_Girls got personality. I'll give her a free heads up. _

"You'd better get back to class before B spots you."

Kennedy leaned back into the fence looking unconcerned.

"Buffy left ages ago, who knows when she will be back."

"Shouldn't you be inside with Anya?" said a voice coolly from the doorway.

Faith grinned as the potential jumped then turned to face Buffy Summers who was standing by the door with her arms crossed. The dark slayer had felt her presence from the moment she had entered the house.

_Gotta love that slayer sense._

Kennedy slipped past Buffy to join several girls hanging by the door to the basement, all clearly unenthralled at the prospect of a lesson with Anya. Buffy meanwhile, turned and walked into the kitchen; Faith followed her. While Buffy busied herself at the sink, Faith perched on the table, legs dangling carelessly off the edge and watched the older slayers back. When it became clear the blonde wasn't going to break the silence, Faith had a stab at some small talk.

"How was school?"

Buffy waved a hand distractedly in the direction of the table before turning around, an orange grasped in one hand.

"I've got to do something later. I need you to watch over the girls." She sat down in a vacant chair.

"Anything to do with that dream you were having?"

Buffy's cheeks turned slightly pink and she started to peel the skin off her orange, piling the skin neatly on the table.

"What dream?"

Faith rolled her eyes.

_Even if I had managed to get some z's while B was playin' crocodile death roll with the sheets there's no mistaking that guilty expression._

"B, you're a lousy liar at the best of times."

Buffy ignored her remark and continued to peel her orange. Faith tried a new tactic.

"Do I have to beat it outta you?" she asked jokingly. "Cause that probably wont end well."

This time she got the rise she had been hoping for. Buffy's eyebrows furrowed and her hands paused over the fruit. Her hazel eyes flicked up to meet Faith's who continued to stare back, eyebrows arched questingly.

"Okay" Buffy sighed softly. "Okay. I think someone, no, something is trying to reach out to me." She took a deep breath. "I think it could help us. I need to check it out." Her voice hardened and her gaze intensified. "Just stay here."

Faith held eye contact for a couple of seconds then broke it to examine her chipped nails.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll stay here." When she was sure Buffy had returned her attention to her snack, Faith glanced back in her direction. Her brown eyes narrowed as she watched the older slayer finally tear and eat the first orange segment.

_Until you get far enough ahead that is... _

tbc.........


	6. Authors note

Hey guys! Sorry about the wait. I'm having a little trouble with Buffy's feeling atm but not to fret, the chapter should be done by the end of this week! If you guys need a small fix I did a mini piece of writing called "It's better this way" so feel free to check it out! If anyone has ideas about how this story should go then feel free to comment/message whatever. Thanks for keeping the faith in me and I'll make sure it's done soon! -xCatseyesx


	7. Chapter 7

_After all the waiting I'm finally done! I'm in two minds about this chapter. It didn't turn out how I had planned and the emotions are all over the place but maybe that works, I dunno? I love reviews so feel free to comment and I will be very interested to see what you make of this one. Love to everyone who subscribed/reviewed and especially to my regular reviewers who say so many nice things! - xCasteyesx_

_As always all characters belong to Joss, I'm just adding a little extra_

Darkness covered the land, bringing with it a peaceful silence broken only by the faint sound of purposeful footsteps. The blonde had been on the move since early dusk, pausing only to watch last of the suns rays vanish behind the rugged landscape. The trail she was currently following was relatively unused, meaning she had to sidestep around the occasional overgrown branch. On the outside she appeared calm and collected but behind the cool exterior her thoughts spun like a whirlwind of what, who and (most importantly) why.

_Did I make the right choice to go through with this? I don't even know what THIS actually is! Why me? Is it some sort of slayer thing and if so who is calling the shots?_

She had been toying with her feelings towards the previous night's dream for most of the day and had eventually decided to follow her instincts and head out of town. She hadn't known exactly which way she was supposed to be going but every now and again she felt the need to make a slight change in direction, as if she were revisiting a place she had once known as a child. The path curved round to bring her to a fork and, without a second thought, she took the left hand trail. It was still slightly unerving. She had also decided against mentioning her intentions to the others.

_They won't understand, only worry and freak out the potentials. No need to scare the girls further. They will be safe with Faith. _

Part of her wished she hadn't revealed the real reason for her departure to the brunette but it was the only way to ensure that she would remain behind; Faith knew exactly why the next generation of slayers had to be kept out of harms way. With Buffy gone the girls would be left wide open for an attack, the one thing they were doing their best to prevent. The girls would be well protected with Faith guarding them, at least that was one worry taken care of.

"Sup B."

The younger slayer was perched on a large rock directly in front of Buffy, legs hanging loosely off the side, a glowing cigarette held between her fingers.

Before the blonde could wrap her head around the fact that the slayer she had specifically told to remain behind was sitting unabashedly in front of her, another even more unwelcome voice called out.

"Well what have we here?" Three vampires emerged from the gloomy undergrowth. "A couple of bitesizes just ripe for the picking." The speaker leered, yellow eyes glittering in the dark while the vampire behind him licked her lips hungrily.

_You have got to be kidding me. These guys have the worst timing possible. It's like a slayer curse._

"Do you vamps never learn that this is slayer territory?" Buffy snapped, her eyes still on Faith. The brunette had slid lightly to ground level and was grinning with the anticipation of a fight.

"Y'know. I kinda like that they don't learn." She threw a kick at the nearest vamp making him crash into another. "Gotta have at least one nightly work out."

The fight was short, mainly owing to the fact that Buffy managed to stake two of the vampires in quick succession leaving Faith to deal with the third. As usual the brunette took much longer than was necessary to dispose of the vamp. Others may have thought that Faith was just sloppy but the older slayer knew it was because Faith enjoyed the sparring. By the time she had finally dusted the vamp, Buffy was starting to feel the first prick-lings of anger.

"So what else are we hunting?"

_Unbelievable. _

Buffy tried to keep her voice as level as possible.

"I told you to stay behind." Faith remained unconcerned and idly tossed a stone from one hand to the other.

"Figured you were doing some recon, so why are we out here?" She cocked her head to the side.

Buffy grit her teeth. How could the younger girl not understand.

"Who is watching the girls?"

The brunette let the stone fall from her hand and crossed her arms, the twinkle now gone from her eyes.

"I'll answer your question if you'll answer mine."

Buffy opened her mouth then closed it, turned around and began walking away from Faith. How could someone deliberately put others in danger. This was just typical Faith all over, storming in with no second thought and getting others hurt in the process. Just like last time. Suddenly, without meaning to or knowing why she was doing it, Buffy abruptly stopped, turned back around and asked the question which had been on her mind from the first moment she saw Faith again.

"Why did you come back?"

The younger slayer's eyes widened.

"Jeez B! I'm here to help!" Frustration entered her voice. "If you would just let me!"

"I asked you to help tonight yet here you are."

_There must be something she can gain from being here. There's no other possible reason. _

"What do you want Faith? To make up for past actions? Is that the only reason you came back? Redemption?"

"No! I came back because it was the right thing to do. I needed to check that Willow, Xander, Dawn and everyone else was ok. That YOU were ok."

Confusion clouded the blonde slayer's thoughts and she lost herself in them for a moment.

_She wanted to see me?_

"If you don't want me here I'll take off-"

"No." Buffy interrupted softly, her anger ebbing away. "That's not what I meant-"

"Well what do you mean?" Faith interupted and Buffy was startled by the level of intensity in her voice. "First you're angry, then you take me in, then you shut me out! You're killin' me with the mixed messages!" She punctuated every word with a shake of her hands. "An' on top of that you act like your mind ain't completely here, half the time I ain't sure if you are really see everything around you! I've been watching you. Something is up. Not because of the new big bad. Something else."

Faith barely paused for breath as she continued on.

"What happened to the old Buffy Summers, Huh? What the hell happened to her!?"

"She died." muttered Buffy, more to herself than to the other slayer. Faith rolled her eyes.

"Ya know what B, now 'aint really the time for you to re-insert the humor chip!"

Buffy made to move towards the path but Faith blocked her.

"Let me past."

"No." The brunettes shoulders squared in determination.

"What happened?"

"I've already told you!"

"You were out for what, a couple of minutes and that-"

"No Faith!" Buffy practically shouted.

_Why is she making this so hard! _

The younger slayers brow knotted in confusion.

_She had to find out sooner or later. Now's as good a time as any._

Buffy took a deep breath and began to speak the words she never has intended to utter in the brunettes presence.

"I died. Last year. Properly, I mean. In a grave and everything." Her voice dropped to a whisper."I was dead for months..."

Her words hung in the air between them, creating a huge mental void. The younger girl had frozen, mouth slightly agape, obviously stunned at what she was hearing. Buffy chanced a quick look at Faith's face but couldn't read the expression in the brunette's dark eyes. She dropped her gaze to her boots wishing once again that she could take back her words. When Faith finally spoke, her voice was both softer and huskier than Buffy had ever heard it.

"We gotta talk about this. You've gotta talk about this." Buffy refused to look at her until cool fingers gently tilted her face upwards. Hazel met warm chocolate eyes.

"I know. Just later ok?" The beautiful brown eyes narrowed.

"I promise." The younger slayer didn't remove her light touch, clearly waiting to see if the older girl meant her words. When Buffy said nothing more Faith sighed softly and dropped her hand.

"The girls are safe. I got Red to cover for me. She did a protection spell as soon as I left." A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

"So why are you out here?"

The blonde returned the smile and motioned for Faith to follow her as she walked towards the path. It was going to be a long night.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Hazel eyes followed the slayers departure from the upper branches of an oak; their owner having quietly observed the entire dialogue between the two. A sharp gust of wind rippled the blondes hair and a cruel smile played upon soft lips.

_An unexpected addition to the board but one that will make the game far more entertaining... _

_tbc..._


End file.
